*Dieter Roth

ArtForum highlights Dieter Roth's revolutionary artistry.

"Dieter was a subversive. It was as though he had set out on a mission to destroy the art market. Through a technique of variable pricing, undercutting one dealer by selling a simlar product to another at half the price, he did succeed in producing a confused market for his work. Another effective method was the use of food as a medium. Dairy products such as cheese, custard, and yogurt were favored, but many sublime works came cast in chocolate. Raw minced meat was shunned only when he was warned of the danger of botulism. He tested dealers who pressed him to exhibit by subjecting them to rancid, flyblown artworks that became increasingly offensive during the course of an exhibition."